Violence against women must be tackled on all fronts

Violence against women must be tackled on all fronts

Wednesday 25 July 2012 15.59 EDT
First published on Wednesday 25 July 2012 15.59 EDT

It is encouraging to see the Crown Prosecution Service make such a concerted effort to tackle violence against women and girls that conviction rates for domestic violence have risen (New record conviction rates on domestic violence, 23 July). However, the fight must be rolled out to all forms of violence against women and girls. It is vital that rape, sexual assault, trafficking and other instances of violence are met with the same strategy of specialist prosecutors, training and community engagement. We would like to see the same strategy across other government departments.

Worryingly, though, the figures mask the problems of reporting and discontinuance during trial. Only "15,000 offenders are being brought to justice" when "more than 1 million women suffer domestic abuse, more than 300,000 are sexually assaulted and 60,000 are raped". We would want to see a strategy to encourage reporting and protect survivors during trial.

Additionally, for those women who do not want to, or cannot prosecute, it is vital that women's services receive long-term funding at a time when incidents of violence against women and girls and demand for support is rising. Our research has shown that 95% of women's organisations face funding cuts or a funding crisis in the next year (2011-12), while 25% said that further cuts would result in closure.Vivienne HayesChief executive officer, Women's Resource Centre, London

• Your report mentions women and girls as victims 10 times without a single acknowledgment that emotional and physical violence can also be committed by women against male victims. Recent cases have slowly prised the lid from the belief that only men can be sex abusers, but your article shows this prejudice remains one of the last great denials in our society – outside the consulting rooms of therapists, where it has been no secret for a long time.Mark Lewinski Swaffham Prior, Cambridgeshire